Floor Layout – Tips for Planning a Remodel around your Budget and Available Floor Space

The right layout for your kitchen

When the remodeling bug bites, the urge to jump right into the project may become almost overwhelming. This can be especially true when the room being renovated is used on a daily basis such as a kitchen or bath – the quicker the sounds of hammers and saws reverberate throughout your home, the sooner your family can enjoy the new and improved version of one of their favorite rooms.

However, demonstrating a little restraint in the early stages may result in both you and your wallet being a little happier with the finished project. Perhaps the area where taking some extra time to consider the choices available can most help your budget and overall satisfaction with the renovation is selecting a floor layout that’s right for the floor space.

Floor Layout – Considerations for your Kitchen or Bath Remodel

Regardless of whether you’re planning a major renovation or just a few simple changes, the floor layout you choose for your kitchen or bathroom can have a large affect on the job costs and your happiness with the competed project. Consider these tips before making your final floor space decision:

Floor Space – Remember the Mechanicals

Kitchens and bathrooms have a lot of parts that work together to make a functional room – much more than any other room in your home. Both rooms have electrical, plumbing, and mechanical requirements and the more you change your current floor layout, the higher your remodeling costs can climb. Moving a range or oven a significant distance across the kitchen may require running a new wire all the way back to your panel box and there may need to be gas lines extended to the new location as well. Although relocating appliances can increase floor space and make the floor layout more user friendly, one must always be mindful of hidden contingencies that can add to the costs of doing so.

Removing a wall to expand the floor space isn’t always as easy as it sounds – there may be many hidden mechanical lines that will need to be relocated to other walls or chases and each can increase your project cost. If your home is built on a concrete slab, major floor layout changes that affect plumbing drain lines can cause remodeling costs to quickly escalate once the jackhammers and concrete saws are involved.

A good rule of thumb is that if you’re remodeling on a tight budget, refrain from making major floor space changes from your existing layout.

Floor Space – Be Realistic about Available Floor Space

If you’re working with a kitchen or bath that has a limit to the amount of square footage available for your renovation, be realistic as to what can be fit into the floor space. Commercial grade refrigerators, large kitchen islands, and spas with multiple jets are all great, but if they take away so much floor space that the remodeled room doesn’t function efficiently, you may be wasting a lot of your hard-earned money on the makeover.

Your new kitchen or bath floor layout should feel easy to navigate and be comfortable to use. If there’s a question as to whether items will fit in your remodeled room, use a measuring tape and painter’s tape to create their footprint on the floor. Most building material manufacturers provide exact product dimensions on their websites. You should be able to easily walk through and work in the room without running into obstacles or feeling confined. Putting some forethought into your floor layout early in the planning process will help insure the kitchen you get is efficient and functional.

Floor Space – Make Use of Available Resources

There’s almost no end to the resources available to get ideas for your new kitchen or bath floor layout. Browse through interior design magazines, spend a few evenings looking at kitchen remodeling contractors’ websites or set a weekend aside to walk through the model homes builders have in your area. Homebuilders often use national design trends and architects who are up-to-date on the latest innovations to create their kitchen and bath floor layouts. While the kitchens and baths you see may not be an exact match for the floor space you have, they can be a great way to get the creative juices flowing.

Floor Space – Consult with Professionals

While you may be a seasoned DIYer, there’s a pretty good chance you don’t have as much experience in kitchen or bath floor layout as a remodeling contractor or trained designer. These professionals have often successfully completed numerous kitchen and bath renovations and can provide educated input into the most economical and efficient ways to use your available floor space. They are also well acquainted with local building and mechanical codes that can affect your floor layout and total remodeling costs.

It may be difficult to hold yourself back, but taking a little time at the beginning of the project to ensure you’re selecting the right floor layout for your floor space should result in a kitchen or bath that’s a pleasure to use and doesn’t strain your remodeling budget.

Be sure to read our helpful article regarding kitchen remodeling costs and their return on investment if you are considering a remodeling project for your home.

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We are extremely happy with the kitchen remodeling done by J & F Specialties/Kitchen Solvers. Their planning process and keeping us in the loop completely put us at ease. Our team internally communicated well with each other and everyone connected with the project for a smooth flow of work (cabinets, flooring, counter tops, island, electrical, plumbing, lights, painting, etc.).

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Superior craftsmanship. Wonderful people. Top-notch talent. Can-do spirit. Very tight team that works well together. Thorough planning and guidance. Great products. Innovative approach to unique problems. Access to the best resources around.

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The cabinets are attractive, well built, and very easy to clean. The service was excellent, good communication, everything scheduled on time, installation and work performance was outstanding.

Harriet M – Springfield, VA

Kitchen Solvers/J&F Specialties did a complete remodel of my master bath and vanity area and also a kitchen update and refresh including kitchen cabinet refacing. John Boynton and his crew were terrific and easy to work with and the results of their work was outstanding. I could not have been more pleased. Everything was completed in a timely manner and I always received a prompt response to any questions or concerns I had. I would recommend John and his company without reservation.

Carole P – Fairfax, VA

I would recommend John and his team to anyone. They remodeled our kitchen and were on budget and on time (to the day!)--how many contractors can you say that about? They are respectful, clean, and friendly. I work from home and so lived and worked through the 4.5 weeks they were in our house and I always looked forward to them coming, chatting with them, etc. They were even very tolerant and loving towards our pit bull who LOVED them (always a good sign!) going so far as to let him out when they thought he needed to use the bathroom. We liked Kitchen Solvers/J & F so much that they are now building our addition for us--we couldn't have imagined using any other contractor.

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We had a fabulous experience with this company and I would recommend them to anyone who wants to have the same work. They are nice to work with.

Kathleen L – Reston, VA

Overall I am very pleased with the result, both kitchen and especially the master bath, including cabinets and workmanship. Your employees and tile subcontractor were always prompt and courteous, and did good work.

Vivien C – Alexandria, VA

Kitchen Solvers/J & F Specialties has done several different projects for us including a full kitchen remodel. The estimates were detailed and thorough, the projects came in on budget and the quality of work was outstanding. Anyone who came into our home was respectful and the spaces were clean when they left for the day.

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The owner, John Boynton was great to work with. He was always available to answer questions and made sure that we were completely satisfied with the end result of our re-modeling project

Bill K – Sterling, VA

They just remodeled our guest bathroom. Every step in the process was well coordinated. John laid out a plan of action that started with design and layout of the bathroom and assisted us with the different material and color schemes for the best design. John provided us with a couple of options to include prices that would best fit our needs. We are totally pleased with the end result and now working with him to remodel our kitchen. He has already laid out the design materials and prices which we have already accepted to start the kitchen renovation. We highly recommend John to anyone who expects a high quality professional result.

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